Looduseomnibus Photo Contest 2011

The Looduseomnibus (Nature Omnibus) Photo Conest for 2011 is now open. I entered last year's competition, and one of my photos was good enough to go on display. However I am sure you can do one better and be in the top 3 of one of the categories.

Photos need to be of different categories of Nature and must be in by 14 March. There are prizes etc and all rules ... in a rough Google translation ... can be found here or in Estonian can be found here.

Good Luck!

Tallinn - Capital of Culture

Tallinn is joint Capital of Culture (with Turku) this year and I spotted this article in The Telegraph. You can read about the programme for the year of culture and like the Programme Director says Estonians "have strong folk traditions in singing and poetry".

Enjoy :)

P.S. The official website in Estonian (Also English , Finnish and Russian options available)

things ... what

things happen
life goes
people wonder
sometimes souls
are happy
sometimes not
no matter
what
__
by Katrin in October 2010
art by 5-year-old Mari Lee - nine tunnels

Armastus #2

Another version of the previous regilaul, no translation this time:

Armastus tuleb aegamööda
astub aia ääri mööda
Eile eelmine eemaldus
et ei ehmuks hellakene
Ise ihkab ihaleda
ilma ilut imesteda
Ootamatuid ootamisi
uhkes ulmas uneleda
Õeke õisi õnnisteleb
ämma hälli äiuteleb
Öösel ööbikul ööjutud
üle kõige armastus
___
by Katrin in November 2009
photo by Ian in Wales (?)

Armastus #1

After searching and listening a lot of ancient Estonian folk songs (regilaul) made one myself.
Left it be for a year or so and then decided to try and translate:

Armastus tuleb arutades
- Love comes considering
arutades arvestades
- considering figuring
arglikult ja aegamööda
- timidly and slowly
astub aia ääri mööda
- steps by the edges of the fence
 
Eile eelmine eemaldus
- yesterday the previous withdrew
et ei ehmuks hellakene
- for the brownie would not be startled
ise ihkab ihaleda
- oneself craves to desire

ilma ilut imesteda
- to admire the beauty of the world (or weather)

Ootus lootus ohkab ihkab
- Expectation hope sighs craves
oivalisi ootamisi
- marvelous waitings
unes näeb ulmas unistab
- sees in dreams daydreams in a vision

uusi uhkeid ulakusi
- new proud naughties

Õde õhkab venda vihkab
- Sister sighs hates the brother
ämma äiutab väetit
- the mother-in-law lulls the puny

öösel ööbikul ööjutud
- in the night the nightingale's night chats
üle kõige armastus
- above all the love

the point in the Estonian version is the alphabethical alliteration - the words in rows start with A, E, I, O, U, Õ, Ä, Ö, Ü...

___
in Estonian and translation by Katrin
art by 5-year-old Mari Lee

Finland - #16

I struggled through
the deep snow
with more following fast

I struggled through
the bitter cold and
with more following fast

I struggled through
hunger and tiredness
with more following fast

eventually arrived at Walhalla
and what's this to say about my journey
it was closed!

poem and photo by Ian

Finland - #2

(Posting poems about snow in summer doesnt seem right so I have posted them now even though I wrote them months ago)
Out at Sea
Bracing against the wind
defying the beating waves
a fortress in the sea

Snow all around
Sun is blinding
a mix of hot and cold
I must guard

So I stand here
against incoming armies
against incoming tides
and against the deep loneliness
until the snow melts and flowers bloom

photo and poetry by Ian